WRIT 340: Fall 2014 Prof. Markwardt


Office: ACC 400C
Mailbox: ACC 400
Office Phone: 213-740-2803
/ WRIT 340
Advanced Writing for Business
Fall 2014
Professor: DaylanneMarkwardt, Ph.D.
E-mail:
Skype: daylanne.markwardt
Text (urgent messages only): 520-820-6253
Lecture Class
Tues./Thurs. / 8:00 – 9:20 a.m. Room: HOH 410
Office Hours
Thurs. / 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., or by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS

Advanced Writing for Business prepares students for academic success and for international work opportunities, placing emphasis on writing in global business contexts. The prerequisite is WRIT 140 or its equivalent.

The course is designed not only to help you write effectively in a business environment, but also to improve your general ability to research and analyze complex ideas, to appreciate and develop the skill of effective argumentation, and to write clear, grammatical, well-structured communication. Course work is designed to increase your capacity to analyze audiences and tailor content and style to produce written documents that communicate appropriately and effectively within their given context.

Building on the skills you gained in WRIT 140, this class explores specific business writing techniques and strategies through in-class lectures and exercises, individual writing assignments, tutorial sessions, and a group project. The topics covered range from word-, sentence-, and paragraph-level issues of correctness, conciseness, coherence, and clarity, to more global considerations of argumentation and organization,including a major unit on critical thinking.

Throughout the semester,the class will emphasize ways of differentiating relevant from inessential information and then communicating what is relevant to a wide variety of audiences. You will learn to regard effective business writing in terms of a series of strategic choices, including choosing from among a repertoire of tones and styles appropriate in different situations and with different audiences. You will also improve your editing and critiquing skills so that you can distinguish effective from ineffective writing and help not just yourself, but others as well, to become better writers in a business context.

The course content of Advanced Writing for Business is practical today and long into the future. You will begin using or improving many writing skills immediately—not just following graduation or in a future career position. Bear in mind, however, that while an instructor can teach you much of what you need to know to be a successful writer, no one can make you learn, practice, modify, polish, or strengthen your writing skills. That part of the course is up to you.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This course focuses on improving your understanding of the basic principles of good writing and how you may use these principles to write effectively in a wide variety of business-related contexts. In WRIT 340 you will be introduced to the conventions of Plain English as a business lingua franca, concepts of intercultural business communication competence, varying conventions of organizing messages across cultures, and the influence of business structure and corporate culture on intercultural business communication in both traditional and new media.

Specifically, at the end of the course, you should be able to:

  1. Recognize and implement the qualities associated with effective business writing, particularly the hallmarks of “Plain English” and its “4Cs”: conciseness, coherence, clarity, and correctness by planning, outlining, and revising a variety of business documents.
  2. Identify and evaluate diverse communication goals of different audiences and make effective choices about the tone, style, and form the communication should take by recognizing and discussing how to tailor communication to specific audiences.
  3. Select and strategically utilize traditional and new communication media by learning about the applications and preferred usages of those media.
  4. Plan, create, and complete a variety of business documents—including, for example, memos, letters, e-mails, blog posts, proposals, and reports—using appropriate headings, layout, and typography by applying rules of document purpose and design.
  5. Conduct research using a broad range of sources by applying secondary and primary methods of research, such as utilizing databases and open sources, practicing key word searches, and conducting interviews.
  6. Synthesize and evaluate the quality of collected information by critically analyzing the value, credibility, and applicability of sources.
  7. Support written claims with logical and persuasive reasoning, and critique the reasoning in the writing of others by applying critical thinking guidelines of Western traditions of thought.
  8. Understand the importance of business ethics and its implications for business and business communication by discussing moral decision-making and approaches to ethics, such as utilitarianism, and how they translate into business contexts.
  9. Collaborate productively with others by completing writing and editing tasks.
  10. Express your ideas and conduct yourself in a professional manner by creating written communication under consideration of all objectives above.

Alignment with USC and Marshall’s Learning Goals

This course is designed to meet USC’s requirement for Advanced Writing as well as selected Marshall Learning Goals. Please see Appendix for correlation of assignments to Learning Goals.

TEXTS

Required

Oliu, Walter E., Charles T. Brusaw, and Gerald J. Alred.Writing That Works: Communicating Effectively

on the Job. 11th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013.

Supplemental readings posted to Blackboard

Recommended

Alred, Gerald J., Brusaw, Charles T., & Oliu, Walter E.The Business Writer's Handbook.10thed.

Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012.

Other Requirements

  • Adobe Reader (
  • Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2013 or previous versions updated with the Compatibility Pack (available free of charge at
  • Access to a laser printer or the equivalent
  • Regular access to Blackboard and your university e-mail account (The latter may be forwarded to another e-mail account, but it should be one you check routinely.)

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Major assignments for this course are listed below. The Critical Thinking Analysis, Ethics Paper, Group Project, and Portfolio assignments are mandatory for all sections of Writing 340 - Advanced Writing for Business. Additional assignments, all in-class exercises, and homework are at the discretion of the professor.

Your final grade in this course will be based on the following:

Percentage of

Individual Writing AssignmentsCourse GradePoints

Business Communication Boot Camp

Introduction to primary types of business communication10%100

For Portfolio Consideration(Three Major Assignments)

Critical Thinking Analysis 15% 150

A critical analysisof current media coverage relatingto a business

or industry of your choice

Corporate Social Responsibility Proposal15%150

An analysis of a company’s current CSR efforts and

proposal for a new or additional program

Business Ethics Assignment 15% 150

Ananalysis of anethical dilemma facing a given business or

industryand recommendation for action

Final Portfolio 15% 150

A substantial reworking of two individual "For Portfolio

Consideration" assignments

Group Writing Assignment

Collaborative revision and redesign of a Website for a small15%150

business or nonprofit organization

Other

Class Participation and In-Class Exercises10% 100

Reading and Correctness Quizzes5%50

TOTAL100% 1,000

EVALUATION AND GRADING CRITERIA

Grading

You will accumulate points throughout the semester, which will be posted to Blackboard so you may keep track of your progress. Final grades will be based on your total points accumulated by the end of the semester as a percentage of the 1,000 total points possible and will follow the guidelines issued by USC’s Office of Academic Records and Registrar: I will also consider your active engagement, attendance, promptness, and level of professionalism in determining your class participation score. Incompletes will only be considered under extenuating circumstances.

Grading Rubrics

Your writingfor this class will be evaluated on the basis of the USC Writing Program’s grading rubric. Used for WRIT 340 sections across campus, this rubric covers the following: level of sophistication in exploring issues set forth in assignment; cogency and insightfulness of argument and analysis; support, organizational clarity, and logical force; professional maturity in syntax, grammar, and mechanics; and cognizance of the academic, professional, and public issues attending to majors, disciplines, and professions. Grading rubrics tailored to individual assignments will be posted to Blackboard well in advance of the assignment due dates. These spell out how your work will be evaluated and allow for detailed feedback as part of the grading process.

Grading Timeline

Please allow a minimum of ten working days for grading.

Posting of Final Grades

Final grades may be accessed on OASIS ( or through USC’s TouchTone Grades System at 213-740-9088.

Polished Drafts

Because good writing is really re-writing, your drafts must be polished (not rough). A polished draft is a preliminary version of the assignment that has been meticulously proofread and "spell-checked." It must also be the correct length—as specified by the "Guidelines" for each assignment."Polished drafts" that fail to meet these criteria will NOT be accepted. All drafts must be submitted at the beginning of class (within the first five minutes) on the day they are due. You should retain copies of all drafts until the end of the semester in case any questions should arise.

Peer Review

An important part of this course is a series of writing workshops in which students critique peer drafts and introductions for major assignments. Your absence on a peer review or “introduction pitch” day or your failure to provide a polished draft or introduction will incur a 20 percent penalty for each infraction. This means your final grade for each assignment can be reduced by as much as 40 percent. To maximize the return on your investment in this aspect of your learning, I encourage you to plan accordingly and visit me during office hours before major assignments are due.

ONE-ON-ONEWRITING CONFERENCES

In addition to my office hours, we will meet, one-on-one, at least two times during the semester. These sessions will offer you an opportunity to discuss specific difficulties you may have in the writing process; they are not intended to be discussions about your grades. Be certain to bring your last graded assignment as well as your in-progress writing so we have something to work with. Also, pay close attention to any special requirements for each conference that I might mention in class. Failure to attend a scheduled conference, or showing up late to one, counts the same as an absence or lateness in a regular class session.

PROFESSIONALISM: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Attendance and Punctuality

Consider the classroom a professional environment. With this in mind, you are expected to attend all scheduled class sessions and to be in your seat, ready to learn, at the start of class. More than two absences will negatively affect your final grade. If you are absent or consistently late three or more times prior to Friday, September 12, the last day to withdraw without a “W,” you will be asked to withdraw.Being absent does not excuse you from work due or completed in class that day. You should contact a classmate (or, as a final resort, your professor) to find out what you missed and obtain a copy of any notes he or she may have taken.

Absences may be excused for compelling personal reasons (death in the family, hospitalization, etc.). However, this is strictly at the discretion of the professor, and you must present documentation for such consideration. You will be marked absent for the day if you are more than ten minutes late to class, or if you leave before class is over without proper notification. (This means that, just as you would do in a professional setting, you should keep me apprised of all unavoidable schedule conflicts). All attendance issues must be resolved within 24 hours of their occurrence. This means you cannot wait until the end of the semester to decide that an absence earlier in the semester should have been excused.

Writing Labs and In-Class Assignments

We may meet in the computer lab intermittently throughout the semester, depending on its availability. Lab assignments mustbe completed during the lab and cannot be made up. Similarly, from time to time, I may ask you to prepare something during a lecture or workshop. These in-class assignments cannot be made up.

Participation and Classroom Demeanor

Part of your grade is based on your participation. This means you are expected to be an active contributor to the class, not a passive listener. Volunteer answers to the questions I ask; ask questions yourself; request clarification if something isnot clear; challenge me if you disagree with something Ihave presented; contribute useful and relevant comments. Your active participation can help determine whether our class atmosphere will be dull and pedantic or energetic and engaging.

Technology Use

Communication devices, such as cell phones and Blackberries which are capable of sending and/or receiving electronic communication, and all entertainment devices, such as iPods or other MP3 players,should be turned off and kept off throughout the class session. Receiving or sending communication during class disrupts the learning environment. Use of laptopsand tabletsis not allowed in this class without the instructor’s permission.While you are in class, you are expected to conduct yourself professionally. This includes being focused exclusively on WRIT 340, not on extraneous matters. It also includes treating everyone else in the room with the same respect and consideration you would like to receive.

Preparation

You are expected to come to class fully prepared, with all required written assignments and reading completed,even if you were unable to attend a previous class meeting.

Assignmentsand Due Dates

Assignments must be turned in at the beginning of the class period. Twosubmissions are required for each major paper: (1) an electronic copy to Turnitin.com on Blackboard and (2) a printed copy to be submitted in class for scoring. You are responsible for ensuring the integrity of your electronic submissions. Papers that are not printed or submitted electronically in the acceptable file formats will not be scored. Moreover, inappropriate submissions will be subject to the appropriate penalties.

Any draft or assignment turned in late, even if by only a few minutes, will be subject to a grade deductionand forfeit comments and conferences to review.A final draft will not be accepted unless a full rough draft has been submitted previously. If you are unable to attend class on the day a rough or final draft is due, please make arrangements for it to be in my mailbox (ACC 400) or submitted by a classmate by the start of the class period. (Assignments will not be accepted electronically except by prior arrangement.) If later than one week, the assignment will receive 0 (zero) points.Late or not, however, you must complete all assignments to pass this course.

WRITING CONSULTANT AND THE USC WRITING CENTER

You may schedule 30-minute appointments with writing consultants trained to assist you in planning, organizing, correcting, and revising your assignments. The USC Writing Center provides two options for meeting with writing consultants: Stewart Grace, Advanced Writing for Business Consultant, is available to assist you on with issues specifically related to business writing. E-mail Stewart at and schedule appointments with him at stewartgrace.simplybook.me. You may also schedule an appointment with the USC Writing Center (WC), located on the second floor of Taper Hall (Room 216). Both writing consultation options are excellent resources for students who want to improve their writing. Some WC consultants have special skills in working with students for whom English is a second language.

In addition to one-on-one consultations, both Stewart and the WC will offer a series of Writing Modules designed to help non-native speakers develop the skills they need to succeed in WRIT 340. The WC offers daily workshops on troublesome language and grammar issues, open to all students, plus a computer program, “Focus on Grammar,” for self-study. The USC Writing Center Web site is located at: You may also find two other online resources helpful:

  • Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL):
  • Online Resources for Writers:

It will usually be up to you to take advantage of the resources that Marshall and the Writing Center offer. On occasion, however, I will require visits to Stewart or the Writing Center—sometimes on a regular basis—if I believe there is a need.

SOME OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

To maintain the integrity of the academic process, onlyoriginal work created for WRIT 340 during the Fall 2014semester is eligible for grade consideration. Thus, if you have written or are writing a paper for another course, you MAY NOT use it in WRIT 340.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged and inappropriate use of the ideas or wording of another individual. It is considered a grave violation of academic integrity, and the sanctions against it are correspondingly severe. Sanctions recommended by the university range from a grade of “F” in the course to suspension from the university. Most simply, plagiarism can be characterized as “academic theft.”

As defined in the University Student Conduct Code (published in the current SCampus), plagiarism includes:

  • “The submission of material authored by another person but represented as the student’s own work, whether that material is paraphrased or copied in verbatim or near verbatim form;
  • “The submission of material subjected to editorial revision by another person that results in substantive changes in content or major alteration of writing style; or
  • “Improper acknowledgment of sources in essays or papers.”

The Student Conduct Code applies these standards to any written work submitted by a student, whether a draft or a final version:

Because of the serious penalties for plagiarism, you should insure that any writing you submit represents your own assertions and abilities and incorporates other texts in an open and honest manner . . . In academic assignments, writing is assumed to be the original words and thoughts ofthe student unless [the reader is] told otherwise (i.e., material from other sources is clearly and properly cited).

From Trojan Integrity: Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism
(USC Office for Student Conduct,